Clamping ring



H. PHILLIPS 2,283,339 CLAMPING RING May 19, 1942.

Filed Nov. '28, 1939 Patented May 19, 1942 CLAMPING RING Hyman Phillips, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Phillips Pump & Tank Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporaton of Ohio Application November 28, 1939, Serial No. 306,539.

6 Claims. (01. 220-61) This invention relates to devices for sealing the heads of drums. Thedevices are intended for use in conjunction with drums having removable heads.

from the drums once or many times before the drum is completely emptied of its contents.

A primary object of the present invention has been to provide a simple device for effecting firm attachment of the head of a drum to the drum itself. The device may include means for connecting the head of the. drum in sealed relationship, so that liquids can be shipped without danger of lossor spillage- V A further object-of the invention has. been to provide a sealing structure which is relatively inexpensive to construct and very simple to use. Prior to the present invention, various types of sealing structures have been proposed; but many of these, although providing suitable seals, have been too complex to be. used or installed conveniently, while others, although relativelysimple, have required the use ofspecial tools and implements for their attachment.

The drums and metal barrels contemplated in the present invention are provided with an annular bead extending around the open head. The head of the drum is configurated with an'annular groove to fit the upper portion of this bead, as in nesting relationship. An annular ring is provided to encircle the drum and also to extend inwardly to embrace the head. The ring is'configurated transversely to complement the head of the drum and issplit so as to be expansible and contractible.

In the expanded condition, the ring is slipped over the head of the barrel and into engagement with the bead. It is then contacted by applying tension upon those portions of it at opposite sides of the split; and, in the contracting operation, the ring embraces firmly the bead of the barrel, while, at the same time, the ring tends to slip downwardly about the bead and consequently compresses the head against it.

One of the primary features of the present invention resides in the means for contracting the split ring. At the one side of the split, a latch retaining ,bracket is provided, and, at the other side, a stud or abutment button. A strap or latch straddles the stud at the one side of the split and extends across the split to engage adjustably the bracket.

Two separate means are employed to constitute the connection of the opposite ends of the split Such containers usually are. of the re turnable type, and the heads may be. removed ring. The first of these comprises an eccentri- 56 cally journalled .cam provided upon the strap.

As this cam is rotated, it engages the abutment,

and the strap is thereby moved relative to the abutment to contract the diameter of the ring.

On the other hand, the. latch retaining bracket itself is configurated to provide. a plurality oi slots, forming a rack, and the latch carries a pin arranged for engagement with the selected one of these rack slots. If the barrel has become bent out of shapeso that its perimeter is increased or diminished, the latch is fitted into that slot which will provide a sufliciently snug fit of the ring over the barrel so that the throw of the eccentric on the latch will complete the. binding action. V J

Therefore, it may be saidthat the retention of the latch upon. the rack provides for major adjustment to compensate for varying diameters of the barrels upon which the ring may be utilized, while the eccentrically journalled cam carried by the latch, provides the binding action which is requisite for making sealing connection between V the ring and the barrel and head elements.

Theretaining bracket, in addition to comprising the rack slots providing for adjustment of the latch, also is configurated to provide an elongated slot which is arranged to be transversed by a pin carried on the latch, for retaining the latch in assembly with the ring. In the preferred embodiment, the bracket. is spaced slightly from the ring, so as to provide a. slot therebetween. A pin or keeper portion of the latch rides within this slot and. therefore prevents the latch from being removed from the bracket. If desirous, the slots constituting the rack for adjustment of the latch may communicate. with the latter.keeper slot, though this is not essential. In general, retainingbracket structure provides a'rack. forpivotal connection of the latch to the ring at the. one side of the. split; and it also, provides a means for retaining the latch within the bracket and. ring while such adjustments are being made, or while the ring may be out. of usage.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Figure 1. is a fragmentary topplan view of the locking ring in place on a drum. v

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the ring and lock. Figure 3 is an enlarged sectionalview of the eccentric, taken onv line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 44, Figure 2 I v v v Figure 5 is a fragmentary'top plan view of the locking ring in. place on thedrum, showing a NT OFFICE reinforced top edge 3 of a drum and a removable lid 4.

The reinforcing bead usually provided on drums of this type is formed by rolling the top edge of the drum outwardly and back upon itself to present a rounded edge. The edge of they lid 4 is usually rolled down slightly to complement the upper surface of the beaded edge or an annular groove is provided in the top, so that the two fit together snugly.

The split ring I is U-shaped in cross section and is placed around the joint between lid and bead, encompassing the two by its concave sur face. As the ring is tightened, the wedging action of its concave surface, acting upon the lid and bead, serves to squeeze the two together to form a seal for the drum. Otherwise expressed, the inside or-concave surface of the locking ring complements the rolled peripheral edge of the lid and outer beaded, peripheral edge of the drum, when the two are squeezed tightly together as a seal for the drum. The arrangement is illustrated best in Figure 4. To form a better seal, a gasket 5 may be employed between the lid and beaded edge. l r V 'The split ring carries an abutment stud 6 extending radially outwardly from the-ring at one side of the gap provided by the split in the ring. The stud preferably is a right-angle element, having a base 1 conforming to the outside contour of the ring and secured thereto, for instance. by welding, as shown in the drawing at 8, Figure 3.

Near the other side of the gap, the split ring carries a rack assembly, indicated generally, at 9. This assembly is composed of two bracket plates Ill-I D, extending parallel to one another and projecting outwardly fromthe ring. The plates have legportions ll-Il and l2l2. Each le has a base l3 which conforms to the contour of the ring to be secured thereto. The .plates ,IU-IU are spaced away from the ring by the legs H-ll and l 2l2, to form longitudinal slots 14-44, bounded, in each instance, by the ring, the legs and the plate.

The-plates II] have, in their extended edges, a plurality of pairs of rack slots l5l5. The different pairs of these slots provide for a primary or major adjustment to compensate for varying diameters of drums of a given size.

T A pin I6 is carried by a strap I! placed between the ratchet'plates, with the pin extending beyond either side of thestrap into a selected pair .of the slots I5-l5 in the plates. The rack slots are formed in the plates on a slant, so that when tightening pressure is applied to the strap, the

,pin IE will be pulled into the slots.

Strap I1 is Islidably'held in its place between the plates by a retainer stud or keeper l8, which extends at a right anglefrom the strap into one of the longitudinal slots 14, or into both. This arrangement allows the strap or latch to be moved back and forth in the space between the plates, but does not permit'the strap to be removed from assembly with the ring when the ring is not in use, i Strap l1 extends to bridge the gap in the split ring. It preferably is given a quarter twist at a point beyond the split in the ring to present a flat surface adjacent the ring, and a cut-out portion I9 is provided in the strap to permit it to encircle the abutmentstud 6. End portion 20 of the strap l1, beyond the cut-out portion l9, carries a rotatable eccentric member 2|. This member is rotatively pinned upon the strap by a stud rivet 22, so as to be free for rotation.

. When the strap is in place encircling the stud 6, the eccentric is positioned to bear against the side of the stud; the relationship between these parts being such that as the eccentric is rotated, for instance, through half a revolution, it tends to push the stud away from it, or, conversely, to

drive the strap'away from the stud and thereby contract the diameter of the ring. So that the eccentric may. be turned by hand, a pair of wings 23 is provided. Also, a slot 24 is provided between the wings for operation of the eccentric byalever.

As shown in the drawing, the keeper l8 rides within the longitudinal slots intermediate the bracket and the ring, with the legs H and I2 limiting the extent of movement. If desirous, the rack slots l5 of the bracket plates may communicate directly with the longitudinal slots l4, instead of extending into the brackets from the outer edges thereof. In this case, the keeper l8 may be employed both as a pivotfor holding the latch in a selected one of the s1ots,.an d, at the same time, for retaining the latchin adjustable connection with the assembly. ,In the latter instance, theangle of the slots relative to the bracket is such that a binding action will be obtained similar to that shown in thedrawing.

To seal the drum, the operator places the removable lid in its place over the open end of the drum.v The split ring carrying the locking elements is then put in place encircling the peripheral joint. The pin [6 is inserted into the appropriate pair of slots |5l'5 andthe strap placed into position, with the eccentric presenting its smallest radius to the abutment stud. The operator then turns the eccentric through a half revolution to present its largest-radius to the abutment stud. This revolution narrows the gap inthe ring and, consequently, tightens and locks the lid to the drum.

As stated previously, the slots l5 constituting the rack for adjustment of the latch may com-' municate with the keeper slot or slots l4. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein the notches or slots enter directly intq the retainer passageway or opening.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A clamping ring for securing a head upon-a barrel, which comprises a split ring element, a latch retaining bracket having slots constitutin a rack and having feet mounted upon the ring at one side of the split, 'with the body portion of the rack intermediate the feet spaced from the ring so as to constitute a passageway therebetween, said body portion having said slots therein, a latch in assembly with the latch retaining bracket and comprising pin means at one end of said latch cooperating with said passageway and said slots for adjustably keeping said latch in position, an abutment carried on the ring at an opposite side of the split, and cam means carried by the latch, at the other end thereof from the pin means, for engagement with the abutment,

2. A clamping ring for securing a head having a downwardly curved lip, on a drum having an external bead, comprising a split ring element of inwardly facing semi-circular cross section en-' gageable about the lip and bead, a bracket member secured to the ring at one end thereof, said bracket member having a portion cut away to provide an elongated slot and having another portion configurated to provide a series of rack teeth, a latch member having at one end thereof a keeper slidably residing in said elongated slot and also having latch means adapted to engage said teeth, an abutment on the other end of the said ring, and an eccentric element rotatably mounted on the latch at its other end and engageable against the abutment.

3. A clamping ring for securing a head having an annular lip upon a drum having an'external bead engageable with said lip, comprising a split ring element formed in cross section to complement the formation of the lip of the head and the bead of the barrel when the two are in assembly, a latch retaining bracket located at one end of the ring and having teeth constituting a rack and a slot constituting a passageway, a latch member comprised of keeper means residing in said passageway to keep the latch member adjustably connected with said bracket and a latch pin member adapted to adjustably engage said rack teeth, and cam means for connecting the other end of the latch to the other end of the split ring.

4. A clamping ring for securing a head having an annular lip on a drum having an external bead engageable with said lip, comprising a split ring element formed in cross section to complement the formation of the lip of the head and the bead of the barrel when the two are in as sembly, a latch retaining bracket comprising a pair of members arranged in spaced, side by side relation upon said ring at one end thereof, at least one of said members being cut away in part to define an elongated slot, said members also being configurated to provide rack teeth, a latch in adjustable assembly with said latch retaining bracket and comprised of means for engaging said slot to keep the latch in adjustable connection with said ring and bracket and means for retaining said latch from one of said rack teeth,

and means for connecting the other end of the latch to the other end of the split ring, comprising an abutment upon the said other end of the ring, and a cam carried by said latch for engagement with said abutment to move the latch relative to the abutment to pull together the 0pof said slots, an abutment carried on the ring at an opposite sideof the split, and cam means carried by the latch for engagement with the abutment, the said latch containing an aperture and the said abutment extending through the aperture for straddling engagement of the latch with the abutment,

6. A clampingring for securing a head upon a barrel, which comprises a split ring element, latch retaining bracket members having slots constituting a rack, and having feet mounted upon the ring at one side of the split, with the body portions of the rack members intermediate the feet being spaced from the ring so as to constitute passageways therebetween, the said rack slots being arranged to communicate with said passageway, a latch in adjustable assembly with the latch retainer bracket and comprised of keeper means residing in said passageways for keeping said latch in connection with said bracket members and ring, said keeper additionally being adapted for engagement with said rack slots from said passageway, an abutment mounted upon the ring at the other side of the split, and cam means carried by the latch for engagement with the abutment, the cam means being pivotally rotatablerelative to the abutment and comprising a relatively flat cam member lying in a plane substantially parallel with that of the latch;

HYMAN PHILLIPS. 

